Does the desire for drugs begin outside awareness? NIDA research reveals subconscious signals can trigger drug craving circuits

Using a brain imaging technology called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), scientists have discovered that cocaine-related images trigger the emotional centers of the brains of patients addicted to drugs — even when the subjects are unaware they've seen anything. The study, published Jan. 30 in the journal PLoS One, was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). more  

Researchers identify novel molecular pattern linked to colon cancer prognosis

An international research team has identified a link between the expression patterns of a class of molecules called microRNAs and how a patient's colon cancer may progress. These data, the first to make such a link, may lead to a new tool for clinicians to help them assess a colon cancer patient's prognosis and decide on appropriate treatment, while potentially providing a new target for the development of colon cancer therapies. The findings, by scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ohio State University, and the University of Hong Kong, China, were published in the January 30, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Additional research is planned to verify and build on these findings, which is needed before these results can be applied to tests or therapies in patients. more

Severe asthma may be a different form of the disease

A multi-center research project to investigate severe asthma has found a key physiological difference between severe and non-severe forms of the disease, a finding that could help explain why those with severe asthma do not respond well to treatment. more  

Stem cell treatment for brittle bones in the womb

The extraordinary results of an in utero stem cell treatment could lead to a new treatment for babies with brittle bones, as well as a range of other disabling conditions, according to a maternal-fetal medicine researcher, now based at The University of Queensland (UQ). more

Morphine dependency blocked by single genetic change  

Morphine’s serious side effect as a pain killer – its potential to create dependency – has been almost completely eliminated in research with mice by genetically modifying a single trait on the surface of neurons. The study scientists think a drug can be developed to similarly block dependency. more

Pancreatic cancer: The smaller the tumor, the better your chances, study shows 

The odds of surviving cancer of the pancreas increase dramatically for patients whose tumors are smallest, according to a new study by researchers at Saint Louis University and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston – the first study to specifically evaluate the link between tumor size and survival rates for one of the most common and deadly cancers. more

New vaccine against deadliest strain of avian flu tested by University of Pittsburgh scientists

A vaccine against the most common and deadliest strain of avian flu, H5N1, has been engineered and tested by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Vaccine Research and Novavax Inc. According to a study published by the Public Library of Science in the Jan. 30 issue of PLoS ONE, the vaccine produced a strong immune response in mice and protected them from death following infection with the H5N1 virus. The vaccine is being tested in humans in an early-phase clinical trial. more

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